handle

verb

• 1feel or manipulate with the hands:heavy paving slabs can be difficult to handle people who handle food
• (chiefly in soccer) touch (the ball) with the hand or lower arm in contravention of the rules: he was sent off in the 84th minute for handling the ball [no object]:the first penalty came as Brown handled

• 2manage (a situation or problem):a lawyer’s ability to handle a case properly
• have commercial responsibility for:the advertising company that is handling the account
• receive or deal in (stolen goods):he admitted handling the stolen chequebook
• informal cope or deal with (someone or something):I don’t think I could handle it if they turned me down
• [with adverbial] (handle oneself) conduct oneself in a specified manner:he handled himself with considerable aplomb
• (handle oneself) informal defend oneself physically or verbally:I can handle myself in a fight

• 3drive or control (a vehicle):he was going too fast and couldn’t handle the car
• [no object, with adverbial] (of a vehicle) respond in a specified manner when being driven or controlled:the new model does not handle nearly so well

noun

• 1the part by which a thing is held, carried, or controlled:a holdall with two carrying handles
• (a handle on) a means of understanding, controlling, or approaching (a person or situation):this analogy will help readers to get a handle on the concept

• 2 informal a name or nickname:that’s some handle for a baby if you use Twitter his handle is TheNextCorner

• 3 [in singular] the feel of goods, especially textiles, when handled:fabrics with a softer handle

• 4 [in singular] US informal the total amount of money bet over a particular time or at a particular event:the monthly handle of a couple of casinos in Las Vegas